Before and After the Beach

Before & After the Beach 

One of the best parts about a visit to Santa Cruz is the Beach. Fortunately, Downtown Santa Cruz businesses have everything you need to get you ready for your sandy adventure and offer a soft landing after a long day in the sun. 

The secret to a successful beach day is a well packed beach bag. One of the favorite items in my bag is a solid beach blanket- waterproof on the bottom and cozy on the top. Berdel’s on Pacific Ave. carries many great blanket choices along with beach towels, flip flops and any gear you need. As for my sunhat I prefer a trip to The Hat Company where there is a hat for the whole family. Now, you cannot leave Downtown until your picnic is ready to go. Zoccoli’s has the best sandwiches with a huge variety including pastas, salad and chips. My girls favorite is the Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich. Delicious! Personally, I like to take my calories in the form of cold grapes. Birichino has the most delicious sparkling Cinsault, perfect for the sun. 

After the beach we are usually exhausted and starving…Back Downtown we go! If you have spent a summer in Santa Cruz, you know the evenings can be a bit chilly and your sun kissed skin will need to cover up. Pacific Wave has a huge selection of stylish sweatshirts for all sizes. One of our favorite spots for dinner is Hula’s Island Grill and it just so happens to follow this beach theme nicely. They have the best Ahi Wasabi bowl with jasmine rice and black beans (perfect with a Mai Tai). My daughters love their Hula burgers and fish tacos. Dessert is a must and just up the road, Mission Hill Creamery, has seasonal ice cream flavors for all tastes (Make sure to at least try the Salted Caramel, you will not regret it.)

-Cara Pearson